Every year when the Holiday Party rolls around, I take a moment to look around the room full of some of the most amazing people I know and really appreciate just how lucky we all are to have each other. More than any other time, we show just how truly generous, kind, joyful, and talented this group is.
This year, of course, was no different. I stood there and saw the increasingly loaded table full of gifts for those none of us would ever likely even meet. Beautiful gifts. I looked around and saw the guild hall full of friends, with not a single stranger among us, even if there were anyone who had never attended a meeting before.
After a while of loading up the gift table and the treat table, sitting and chatting, wandering and saying hello to all, it was time for announcements. Information about Yarn Train can be found on the guild’s website, along with important information regarding volunteers needed to help with set up and clean up for next year’s retreat. There are still guild hats available, too, for those who haven’t had a chance to pick one up yet. They really are fantastic, and I love seeing how people customize them! There was also a bit about next month’s meeting, which will be another action-packed round of technique tutorials.
Georgi gave another great book report, this time on an “oldie, but a goodie” from the far-back reaches of 1983: Fox and Geese and Fences: A Collection of Traditional Maine Mittens. I should probably point out that as someone born that year, I resemble that remark, but it was a fabulous book to get a peek at nonetheless. I know I likely wasn’t the only one that went home and gave hunting down a copy a try!
Next up was Paula, with a game for us all to play! She’d sneakily been dropping off a skein of yarn at each table up until then, with a mysterious glint in her eye and a “you’ll see!” when pressed for information. She ran us through the basics of this game of left and right, and started on the story she’d written herself. As she read the adorable holiday tale aloud, any time she said the words, “left,” “right,” or “across”, the yarn was passed along in that direction. The person holding the yarn at the end of the game got to keep it. I couldn’t help but be overjoyed when I was the last one holding our particular skein; it was beautiful! All in all, it was a great game and everyone had a blast, even when we were laughing too hard to follow the directions properly! Thank you, Paula! It was great fun!
There is no way for me to express how excited I was about this particular Show and Tell, though. We get to see all of the amazingly gorgeous projects that our fellow members have made, from shawls and hats, including the newest cute trend, the ‘topper’ hats, with their delightful stuffed animals in place of pompons. We even get to see unique items like Kolette’s breathtaking green bead-woven scarf!
It’s always doubly gratifying to see the beautiful gifts! After Rebecca showed off her adorable animals that we’ve all come to love, Paula popped up to show the too-cute pony, Primrose, that Rebecca had made just for her! Knowing that those in our lives that we cherish will be receiving the gifts just makes us work all the harder to make things that are true showstoppers, but in this guild, so full of so many selflessly generous and talented people, we also get to see the gifts made for complete strangers. This year we collectively donated to the same charity as last year, and somehow managed to outdo even last year’s attempts. The sheer amount of gifts was awe-inspiring, but the quality of them was even more stunning than the quantity. Janet, who always inspires with her work, brought the whole group to its figurative knees with a literal bag full of some of the most gorgeous knitting for the donation table.
While I could easily fill the whole newsletter with just the basics of every single shared project, it’s really something to see in person. For those that haven’t been to a meeting yet, or have missed a few here or there, I would urge you to come if even only to see for yourselves; it’s worth it!
The rest of the meeting was spent sharing delicious food, great conversations, and holiday spirit with wonderful friends, while crafting and relaxing. There’s little else you could ask for, really. I am grateful every day for the friends I have made in this community, and excited for the opportunity to make so very many more. Each year I will continue to take a moment to stand and marvel at just how lucky we are to have found each other, and to dream of all the new friends yet to join us. Happy Holidays!
-The Allegedly Normal Knitter
This year, of course, was no different. I stood there and saw the increasingly loaded table full of gifts for those none of us would ever likely even meet. Beautiful gifts. I looked around and saw the guild hall full of friends, with not a single stranger among us, even if there were anyone who had never attended a meeting before.
After a while of loading up the gift table and the treat table, sitting and chatting, wandering and saying hello to all, it was time for announcements. Information about Yarn Train can be found on the guild’s website, along with important information regarding volunteers needed to help with set up and clean up for next year’s retreat. There are still guild hats available, too, for those who haven’t had a chance to pick one up yet. They really are fantastic, and I love seeing how people customize them! There was also a bit about next month’s meeting, which will be another action-packed round of technique tutorials.
Georgi gave another great book report, this time on an “oldie, but a goodie” from the far-back reaches of 1983: Fox and Geese and Fences: A Collection of Traditional Maine Mittens. I should probably point out that as someone born that year, I resemble that remark, but it was a fabulous book to get a peek at nonetheless. I know I likely wasn’t the only one that went home and gave hunting down a copy a try!
Next up was Paula, with a game for us all to play! She’d sneakily been dropping off a skein of yarn at each table up until then, with a mysterious glint in her eye and a “you’ll see!” when pressed for information. She ran us through the basics of this game of left and right, and started on the story she’d written herself. As she read the adorable holiday tale aloud, any time she said the words, “left,” “right,” or “across”, the yarn was passed along in that direction. The person holding the yarn at the end of the game got to keep it. I couldn’t help but be overjoyed when I was the last one holding our particular skein; it was beautiful! All in all, it was a great game and everyone had a blast, even when we were laughing too hard to follow the directions properly! Thank you, Paula! It was great fun!
There is no way for me to express how excited I was about this particular Show and Tell, though. We get to see all of the amazingly gorgeous projects that our fellow members have made, from shawls and hats, including the newest cute trend, the ‘topper’ hats, with their delightful stuffed animals in place of pompons. We even get to see unique items like Kolette’s breathtaking green bead-woven scarf!
It’s always doubly gratifying to see the beautiful gifts! After Rebecca showed off her adorable animals that we’ve all come to love, Paula popped up to show the too-cute pony, Primrose, that Rebecca had made just for her! Knowing that those in our lives that we cherish will be receiving the gifts just makes us work all the harder to make things that are true showstoppers, but in this guild, so full of so many selflessly generous and talented people, we also get to see the gifts made for complete strangers. This year we collectively donated to the same charity as last year, and somehow managed to outdo even last year’s attempts. The sheer amount of gifts was awe-inspiring, but the quality of them was even more stunning than the quantity. Janet, who always inspires with her work, brought the whole group to its figurative knees with a literal bag full of some of the most gorgeous knitting for the donation table.
While I could easily fill the whole newsletter with just the basics of every single shared project, it’s really something to see in person. For those that haven’t been to a meeting yet, or have missed a few here or there, I would urge you to come if even only to see for yourselves; it’s worth it!
The rest of the meeting was spent sharing delicious food, great conversations, and holiday spirit with wonderful friends, while crafting and relaxing. There’s little else you could ask for, really. I am grateful every day for the friends I have made in this community, and excited for the opportunity to make so very many more. Each year I will continue to take a moment to stand and marvel at just how lucky we are to have found each other, and to dream of all the new friends yet to join us. Happy Holidays!
-The Allegedly Normal Knitter
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